Waiting for Eden
by Iron Maid
Summary: Often they would make such a big deal about it. But maybe it deserved to be a big deal – because he felt like his love was pouring out of his heart." - Romantically Inclined (General & Drama)
1. A Group of Four Girls

_Okay, I felt like writing another fanfic, so here it is... Warning: there is some profanity used here, but all in all just go ahead and enjoy. Remember, I am open to all criticism and suggestions. So after reading this, tell me what you think. (Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Dead or Alive or anything else from Team Ninja and Tecmo.)_

* * *

The seniors stood against the brick wall behind the school library, their usual hangout when they had nothing else to do during lunch. Though it was in the afternoon, everything was still a tinted gray from the upcoming winter. It was slightly foggy that day. The air was crisp and icy and when you exhaled you could watch your breath as it formed clouds that vanished in an instant. They were a group of three – three young women, calmly waiting for the time to pass by. There was nothing to look at from where they were; just a patch of dead grass and a small cluster of eucalyptus trees.

A young couple were fooling around one of the trees. This made the seniors a bit uncomfortable.They either had to act like they didn't notice or as if they didn't care. Although they tried their hardest to seem disinterested, their eyes tend to wander and accidentallyfall upon the two as they engaged in lust without consideration of prying eyes. It seemed that they were doing it on purpose, just to show off how much they've matured since their earlier years in junior high.

"Fuckin freshmens man... They're fucking weirdos."

Lisa laughed attheremark. "You're sad, Christie!"she replied jokingly. "It's not like you were never one before."

By now she had learned become used to Christie's opinions, which were always insulting and odious no matter what she talked about. And because Lisa had never been raised in a negative environment, it was alarming when she had first been introduced to Christie, who wasn't exactly known for being likeable, but for being over-dominant and short tempered. Two years ago, it seemed unlikely for the two opposites to befriend one another, but as time progressed, so did their acquaintance grown into a friendship.

"I know but… Look at them!" Christie spat. Her eyebrows began to twitch. "They think they're the shit'n all, those cocky bastards… We weren't like that when we freshmen." She shook her head. "I swear, that generation is fucked up."

Lisa shrugged her shoulders. "Oh yeah," she remembered, becoming excited,"there's a new girl coming over. I signed up to be her tour guide."

Niki made a face. "Excuse me, a freshman?" Along with Christie, she didn't take a liking to freshmen. But disregarding Christie's antics, her thoughts about freshmen were more based on how the senior boys portrayed the freshman girls. And the senior boys definitely thought that the freshmen girls were hotter than the senior girls, which disturbed Niki a whole lot, since she was a senior herself.

"I don't know yet," Lisa answered, "but I did hear Kasumi mention it was going to be her sister or something."

"Who the hell's Kasumi?"

"You, mean, you don't know her? She's Hayate's sister."

Niki made another face. "What year?"

"Junior."

"Oh, the Asian chick with red hair…" She pondered, searching if such a girl was registered in her memory. "…Yeah, I know her… she's that damn slut!"

Christie sneered. "Whatever, your just jealous because she doesn't have to work hard for her guys."

"What does she got that I ain't?"

"She has a brain, that's for sure."

"And she doesn't date guys for money." Lisa added.

Niki rolled her eyes. "Whatever…"

"Hey y'all!" someone shouted from the side.

Everyone turned to unexpectedly see Tina, the fourth member of their group, standing right next to them.

"Tina!" Lisa exclaimed.

"Lisa!"

The two best friends jumped, hugged, and kissed both cheeks, something that they had officialized as their signature greeting years ago.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were still in Texas?"

"No, I just got back! The school was on the way, so I told my dad to pull over so I could check on you guys. I'll be here tomorrow though."

"So did Brenda end up coming after all?"

"Yup… And she was acting like a total bitch, like always. Whatever. Anyways, I don't wanna talk about it anymore. What did I miss?"

Christie sighed. "Nothing much… Jan Lee and Ashley hooked up – that didn't last very long. Niki and Lei Fang got into a catfight, but the history teacher broke it off. A group of students were expelled for being caught with weed… those idiots. The guys' football team won championship. Niki won-"

"I, of course, won Home Coming Queen!" Niki interrupted.

Tina jumped and applauded her. "Really? Ahh! I always knew you could reach your dream! Who's the King?"

Christie shuddered "… Zack…"

Tina's jaw dropped. "Zack? You're kidding me, right! He's such a loser! Ugh! I can't believe it! How the hell could that jackass be Prom King? Gawd!"

"There's nothing wrong with Zack!" Niki defended. She snorted and ruminated of the golden moment. "I kinda like him…"

"Have you gone insane? Zack is a creep!"

"Hey, Tina, did you know there's a new girl coming in tomorrow?" Lisa interrupted.

"Really?" She turned to Lisa. "In the middle of the school year? You're giving her a tour of the school, I bet."

"Of course, as always."

"I knew it, you over achiever!"

"She's Hayate's sister, did you know that?" mentioned Christie.

"Whoa, he has another sister? How exciting. I can't wait to meet her!"

Niki rolled her eyes. "You want to meet a possible Kasumi clone?"

"What do you have against Kasumi? She's nice."

"Niki's just jealous, that's all." Lisa answered.

"Ok, enough with the jealous thing already! Why would I be jealous of her if I'm obviously one of the most popular girls at school? I mean, I'm Home Coming Queen, I can get any guy I want! I out beat her in every single category! There's just no competition between her and me."

"Oh brother…"

There was a honking coming from the parking lot. "TINA!!"

"Your dads calling you." Lisa giggled.

"My dad is so stupid sometimes… I got'ta go now. I'll see you guys tomorrow." Tina hugged all of them, each saying their goodbyes.

* * *

It was early when Tina had awakened. Definitely morning, but still pretty dark. The streetlamps were on and a couple of cars would stop by neighbors and honk for their carpools. The phone had been ringing for quite a long time already, but Tina didn't bother to pick it up until Bass yelled for her to answer it all the way from his room. Sleeping face down on her pillow, she weakly extended her arm to feel for the phone. She toppled over a few trinkets on the side table, but was too tired and sleepy to care what she was doing.

Tina pulled the receiver by her ear, but too hard that the base of the phone dropped to the ground. Grouchily she picked it up and pulled it near her.

"…Hello?…" she asked. Her voice was a bit raspy.

"Tina? This is Lisa." She sounded sulkier than usual.

"Oh, hey, what's up?" Tina shifted to her side and cleared her throat.

"Nothing, just… You know how I signed up to give the new girl a tour?"

"Yeah. What about?"

"Well I caught that flu that was going around just last night."

"Awh, that sucks!"

"Yeah, I'd do it myself, but my mom wants to keep me home … _sniff_… I was wondering…" She paused for a second to blow her nose. "Sorry about that…_sniff_… I just wanted to ask you if you mind doing it for me."

"Oh no, that's no problem! Of course I can."

"Thanks a lot. I knew I could count on you."

"Hey, what are friends for?"

" Thanks. Tell me all about it later, okay?"

"Alright."

"I'll see you soon."

"Okay."

"Bye."

"Bye…" Tina put down the receiver and smothered her face back on the pillow.


	2. An Unwanted Awakening

_The second chapter's up. Hope you guys enjoy this one now that Ayane's in it. Anyways, (cough) onwards... (Discliamer: I do not own the characters of the Dead or Alive series or anything else from Team Ninja or Tecmo.)_

* * *

It was tallest mountain that held a magnificent view of the forest. And on the top of that mountain, tall green grasses took root and wavered mesmerizingly whenever the wind blew against them softly from the north. Amazingly, there was not a single cloud that covered the sky. It was ever so blue and the butterflies seemed to be happy. Paradise. Just how Ayane liked it. Yet she found herself back at her room. In her same sheets. On the same bed. Within the same walls. Living in a dull, pointless world that never seemed to change, because maybe it was just her and she couldn't do anything about it.

The walls were shaded grayish-white from the morning sky. They were like that every morning. She had grown to hate it simply because she woke up to it every time. And it meant she had to get out of her sheets and face life even if all she wanted to do was stay in her bed. As usual, a train echoed from the distance.

Though the window was closed it was freezing cold. Her 'father' never had the chance to fix the heater like he said he was. She was using two blankets and she still suffered from cold feet and coughing all night. Now her nose was stuffy and it hurt whenever she swallowed. She felt like crap. Her mouth was opened all night being that it was difficult to breath through her nose, so it wasn't surprising that saliva had formed a crust around her mouth. She tried clearing her throat from the flem buildup, but it did nothing to help.

Kasumi was standing at the doorway in her towel. She was dripping wet. Fog steamed out of the bathroom across the hall.

"Ayane-san…" she called in a low voice, hoping not to wake their parents who had earlier come home from a night shift. It annoyed Ayane how she was in her room, wearing nothing but a towel. They were only one year apart and somehow Kasumi ended up being more bodily defined. Ayane had come to believe that supposedly she had inherited the bad genes and it was Kasumi who received the better ones. People talked about it all the time - comparing the both of them with who supposedly looked prettier or smarter or nicer or in other words, who was the better sibling. It annoyed her so much, especially since her sister acted so humble about it.

Ayane made sure she wasn't in turn affected at all by this. There was a point in her life where she searched for justifications as to why she shouldn't have to care. Passion was her answer. Passion for sports, passion for school, passion for... puppies. Yet she felt no passion for any of them. And in the end, it just became, 'I just don't have to care.' That was why.

"It's time for school…"

Ayane pulled the blanket over her head and coiled into a ball. She forced her eyes shut.

"Ayane, do you know what time it is?"

"I don't know!"

"You'll be late… You should have gotten out of bed by now… Ayane."

Ayane was getting more irritated by the second. Kasumi's nagging was a annoying her. She knew she had to get up, but she didn't want to hear it from Kasumi. The last thing she wanted was to be ordered around by her. She wasn't a kid anymore.

"Ayane, if you don't get up now, you won't have time for breakfa-"

"Okay…! I will! Get the hell out of my room already! Sheesh!" Ayane gave out a forceful jerk. She waited until she heard the door slowly come to a close. Silence. Ayane threw the blanket off her head. Her sister was finally gone.

* * *

Hayate worked hard to maintain his car since he received it as a gift mom and dad before the start of the school semester. It wasn't much – a rusted wagon, still manageable enough to take them to school and back home again. Ayane loved whenever Hayate drove her. Yet for some reason, she always sat in the back. It had always been that way. It was now that, for once, she questioned herself about why she always sat there. It was almost like instinct. Maybe because she was the youngest? Though, growing up, even if it were only herself and the driver, she still chose to sit in the back. This began to bother her.

Hayate shut the car door and dug his pockets for the keys.

"Do you guys have everything?" he asked, turning towards Kasumi. It was such a burden, but he made it his duty to watch over his sisters. Being the eldest of the three, he was taught as a child to set a good example for them and to ensure their safety. This was probably one of the best reasons why Ayane looked up to Hayate. She felt like he was the only one who actually cared about her.

Kasumi nodded as she loftily waved her ginger hair and pulled it into a ponytail.

"Let's go."

The car drive was longer now that she was attending the school of her siblings. It was not a wonder why Hayate and Kasumi had to wake up so early.

"We're almost here."

Kasumi patted Ayane, who was asleep in a slouched position. Her head leaned against the car window as her mouth hung open. Ayane jerked hostilely.

"Huh?"

"We're almost at the school." Said Hayate.

Ayane sat up and searched for the building, only pass by a line of trees and large Victorian homes.

"Where?" she asked.

"It's coming."

After a few houses, the school became more visible. It wasn't hard to miss. It was a huge building of French window sills and an indigo plated roof – indeed a school of prestige and high expectations. Very contrary to her old school where most of the students were slackers and destined with no future.

The gates opened automatically as they drove into the campus on a cemented road. Students were already crowding over the benches and doing whatever they did that was popular. Ayane couldn't care any less. They were, however, neatly dressed in uniform with their white shirts, freshly ironed pants and skirts and designer loafers. Ayane looked down at herself and noticed how degrading she appeared as she compared. Her uniform was faded and old – hand me downs from Kasumi. Her shirt was almost transparent, so she had to wear an undershirt and while everyone else's collar was angular, hers was round. It must have gone out of date. Embarrassed, she slipped on her jacket, the only thing that came close to new. Kasumi and Hayate had out grown their old uniforms and were bought new ones. It kind of annoyed Ayane because she knew she would never have to get a new uniform for herself. She could just use Kasumi's.

The driveway eventually led to a parking lot behind the building. All of the closer lots were taken, so Hayate had to park a bit further. Ayane grew uneasy as Hayate positioned the car. He shifted to park and it became quiet. Ayane just sat there as Hayate and Kasumi prepared to exit the car. She listened to the sound of the keys hitting each other as Hayate put them away. She listened to their seatbelts click, the sound of the seats as they shifted, the shuffling of their backs, the door opening. These sounds with all the quietness and the way it just happened before her like it was normal were driving her insane. It felt like being forced but presenting no resistance because it's something you just do and it's normal. Ayane didn't want to move. She was getting mad for some reason. Hayate and Kasumi probably weren't feeling the same way she was.

Hayate had already climbed out and shut the door. Kasumi was out too. She bended down to look at Ayane, who didn't even unbuckle her seatbelt.

"We're here. Time to get out."

Ayane got even hotter. She grouchily unbuckled and exited the car. She couldn't help feeling this school was going to be worse than her old school. Everyone hear looked conceited, spoiled and so full of themselves. She instantly felt as if she didn't belong.


	3. The New Student

_I actually cut this chapter in half cause it was getting too long. Anyways, hope you enjoy and remember to submit your reviews. Oh yah, Merry Chirstmas everyone! (Disclaimer: I do not own the Dead or Alive characters or anything else from Team Ninja or Tecmo.)_

* * *

"Mr. Landon, if I see one more spitball, I'm going to have to send you to the office." 

Mr. Wong warned. He had been trying to simmer down the class for the past ten minutes. It took them another 7 minutes for them to get their books open, and when they were quiet, he immediately began the lesson plan.

"Now, before we continue on to the next chapter, I thought I'd help you guys review over yesterday's subject before the quiz we're having tomorrow." He grinned, trying to retract comical relief in the students from his supposed pleasure of their pain – the average teacher humor to get students to like them. It hardly works. The students only groaned or whispered to each other about what a sucky teacher Mr. Wong was. Someone gave out a sarcastic laugh. A few snickers followed after. He was not really a shy guy, but he was nice. Maybe too nice that the students would take advantage of him and his incapability of saying 'no'. It would be better to describe him more of as a 'yes person'. He was a caring teacher, though. But students don't acknowledge it. Instead, they use it against him – kind of like a scapegoat for their low-test scores. He coughed and glanced down at the podium, where he kept his lesson plan journal.

"Yesterday we were covering the empirical formula and Avagadro's number." Again, he cleared his throat. "I'll write down a problem on the board and explain it to you guys step by step. Those of you don't who don't understand, just try to take notes and you can study them at home." He cleared his throat again and began writing on the board.

_When a 0.3546 gram sample of vanadium metal is heated in the air, it reacts with oxygen, achieving a final mass of 0.6330 grams. Calculate the empirical formula of this compound._

"If one mol of vanadium is equal to 50.941 grams, how many mols are in 0.3546 grams of vanadium? Well, what you have to do is convert."

_0.3546gV/1 x 1molV/50.941gV_

"Grams vanadium cancel each other out." He crossed out gV. "And you are left with zero point three five four six over one times one mol vanadium over fifty point nine four one."

_0.3546/1 x 1molV/50.941 equals 0.3546molV/50.941_

"Then you divide, which gives you…"

_0.00696_

"You do the same thing with oxygen. But remember, the reaction with vanadium and oxygen resulted in a final mass of 0.6330. So…"

_0.6330 – 0.3546 equals 0.2784_

_0.2784gO/1 x 1molO/15.999gO_

"Grams oxygen cancels out, leaving you with…"

_0.2784/1 x 1molO/15.999 equals 0.0174_

"So now we have…"

_0.00696 0.0174_

"To get the empirical formula, take the smaller value and divide. In this case, it is zero point zero zero six nine six."

_0.00696/0.00696equals 10.0174/0.00696 equals2.5_

"Now, two point five isn't a complete value, so what we have to do is multiply both numbers by the smallest value that turns 2.5 into a whole number, which should be 2."

_1 x 2 equals 2 2.5 x 2 equalls 5_

"Then we apply the results to the compound, which leaves us with…"

_V205_

"It's really not all that difficult. Trust me, this will be all the math you'll be seeing in chemistry. It's simply just a matter of converting. That's all." He looked around to view the students' faces. Some were staring intently at him. Others, he couldn't tell what they were thinking because they kept there faces down. And for the remainder, they looked downright lost, squinting at the board and twitching their brows. For the main part, they weren't paying attention because they were too busy with all of their secret notes or hot gossips. However, being teenagers, it isn't' exactly their faults if they get a low grade, but the teacher's fault because of bad presentation. Mr. Wong was surprised, because usually there would be an aggressive student who would yell out to explain the whole thing over again – even multiple times by many students. This time they were the students who preferred not to say anything even if they didn't understand.

"If any one has any questions, feel free to raise your hands ask me."

Nobody raised their hands, but finally, one student was willing. He frantically waved liked a loon.

"Yes, Michael?"

"Can I go to the bathroom?"

There were a couple of snickers from a group of nearby boys, and after that, little side chats, which built into discussions. Again, Mr. Wong tried desperately to catch their attention.

"Tina Armstrong." And old raspy voice called from the speaker box.

Realizing it was principal Gen Fu's voice, the classroom fell silent.

"Tina Armstrong, will you please report to the principal's office."

"Ooooh…" The students began to stir as Tina walked towards the door.

"You're in trouble…" Nicholas Callaghan joked. Tina glared at him, but in truth, she was flattered by the attention.

Principal Gen Fu was waiting outside the office when Tina arrived.

"Yes, principal Gen Fu?"

"Tina, you are aware that there will be a new student attending our school, yes?"

"Oh, yeah! I know."

"Well our assigned tour guide, Lisa – I'm assuming you're friends with her?"

Tina nodded.

"She called in sick this morning and also informed that you will be substituting for her. Have you conversed over this earlier? If you don't want to, I can assign another student."

"No, you don't have to. She called me earlier, and I said yes. I forgot to drop by the office."

"Okay, then we're all set. She's waiting inside right now."

Tina jumped from excitement. "Really?"

"Yes. She's a bit, how may I put it, moody, so you'll have to work with her when she gets uncooperative."

"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll like me."

Gen Fu chuckled.

"Alright. I'm giving you the rest of the period to get her comfortable."

"I will." She ensured.

Gen Fu opened the door and led her inside.

The new student sat in the corner of the office. Her right leg pushed against a small file cabinet in front of her as she studied the large memorial chestnut tree that reached for the window out from the lawn. She was facing the opposite direction, so Tina couldn't make out her face, but she could tell from the way the student presented herself that she was one of those rebellious types. Her uniform was obviously second hand and appeared as if she carelessly but it on in the dark. She was wearing a jacket, but her shirt was untucked, peaking out from underneath. Her collar was out of place and her shoes were unlaced. However, it wasn't her clothing that kept catching Tina's eyes. It was her purple hair. That was an odd color. Tina thought Christie was crazy the day she showed up with white hair, but purple? That was a color no one dared to use.

"Ayane…" Gen Fu called. She turned around and looked up at him then noticed Tina standing beside him. Her eyes were amethyst. Pretty, Tina thought, but her facial expression wasn't very welcoming.

"Ayane, this is Tina. Tina this is Ayane." Gen Fu presented.

Tina smiled and waved to be friendly, but the new student kept a straight face and didn't return the wave.

"Miss Armstrong is last year's MVP for the varsity volleyball team and is also a member of the drama club and the men's wrestling team. Oh, but don't worry, she's actually very nice." He chuckled.

Tina flushed at the remark. She was nice. But she also could be really mean if she wanted to. She wouldn't start trouble for a stupid reason, but she does have the tendency to beat up on girls – or guys – who bullshit about her friends.

"She will be escorting you as your tour guide around the school." Gen Fu continued. "Come now. I'll leave you two to get things done." He gestured Ayane to get up and led the two out the door, shutting it behind them.

Now they were just two strangers by themselves in a vacant hallway. Tina looked at Ayane and smiled.

"Hi."

Ayane looked the other way.

"Do you hate talking or something?"

"I talk when I want to." She muttered.

"So you do talk!" Tina acted surprised. "That's a relief! Follow me, I'll show you around school."

Tina expected Ayane to walk beside her, but she merely walked slowly from behind. Her face was still expressionless. Tina kept looking back, wondering when she was ever going to catch up. She purposely slowed down her pace, but still, it seemed as if Ayane mimicked her every step. She never caught up. A bit worried, Tina turned around.

"Is there a problem? What, does your foot hurt or something?"

"No."

"Then c'mon and walk with me."

"I don't like being told what to do, especially by people like _you_."

Tina thought about it, and then chuckled. "Okay, then. I'll walk next to you." She scurried over beside Ayane and smiled.

"This hallway is full of classrooms, nothing special. The teachers and the subjects they cover are imprinted on the door, so you won't find any trouble, I hope." As they passed the classrooms, you could hear the teachers giving lectures through the doors. Some were yelling and others were slow and boring. Tina hoped Ayane found some amusement from the awkward sounding teachers, but still, her face remained emotionless. They walked further down the hall.

"Oh, look, here comes the trophy case!" They stopped by a huge case full of tall trophies, noble plaques, and numerous ribbons. "Our school is kinda known for being the champions of lots of sports. Like… football and volleyball." She pointed at a four-foot tall trophy with a figurine of a woman overhand serving a volleyball. "Look, you see that big trophy? I helped win that. I was the hitter for the team. We slaughtered our opponents." She bragged proudly. When she looked back at Ayane, she noticed she was studying a picture of the cheerleading squad.

"That was taken two years ago, back when I was a sophomore. I remember that. They were really good."

Tina studied the picture also. "I know some of them… Hmm… oh, there's Niki." She pointed to a thin bronze beauty with platinum blonde hair. She was bending down and blowing a kiss.

"She's one of my closest friends. That's the year she tried out for cheerleading. Who else is there…? See that chick with pigtails? That's Lei Fang. She's a junior, but I'm cool with her. She's friends with this other girl I know." She skimmed the picture and spotted her kneeling in the corner.

"That's Kureha. She's pretty. She's really smart, too, you know. Her and Lei Fang. They're honor students. They both have like 4.5 GPAs. I don't know. I have two friends who are honor students also. Christie and Lisa. You should meet them." Tina scanned the picture again. "Oh, that girl is Kasumi… Hey wait a minute, I forgot! You're her sister! You look just like her! I have been wanting to meet you!"

Ayane stepped back and made a face. "So what if I'm her sister? What's so great about that?"

"Nothing – I mean, not nothing! I just never imagined she'd have one. I don't recall her ever talking about you."

"Never? That bitch!"

Tina laughed. "How cute! You guys are like the yin-yang twins! C'mon, I'll show you the rest of the school." They walked on.

Tina wasn't very experienced in tour guiding, but she tried her best in making Ayane's time worthwhile. Meeting her was like a new experience for her. She never really followed through with the whole outcast ideal, but there was just something she liked about the new student.

Further down the hall, in the second floor, Tina led Ayane to a large set of double doors.

"This is my favorite spot out of the whole school..."


	4. A Striking Stranger

_Okalie Dokalie. This is the other half of the third chapter, The New Student. I actually cut it in the wrong place, but it's still okay I guess. I didn't post in such a long time cause I was getting lazy. I just finished this chapter today in a rush. Anyways, thanks for the reviews, I hope you guys will enjoy this one.(Dislaimer: I do not own Dead or Alive, Team Ninja, or Tecmo.)_

* * *

She pushed against them, as if to make a grand entrance into a ballroom. It was dark inside, but as Tina pushed through the doors, the light from the hall seeped its way into the room, uncovering rows and rows of elevated seats. The light however was restricted to a certain point where you couldn't see further down.

"Hold on. Wait Here." She left Ayane and darted into the darkness.

"Where are you going?" Ayane demanded.

"Just wait. You'll see."

Tina couldn't see a thing in front of her, but she didn't mind. She felt her way against the wall, searching for the power panel. Finding it was a breeze since she already knew her way around the building. Thirty steps down the stairs. Turn left to a smaller flight of stairs. Pass the curtains. Against the wall. She finally found it when she felt the panel's hinges and cool exterior. She hatched it open and flipped several of the switches, bringing to life before Ayane a huge old-fashioned stage with the classic red curtains. The spotlight was centered into the middle of the stage.

"This is your favorite place?" Her voice echoed off the walls of the auditorium.

Tina stepped out of the curtains and positioned herself so that the light hit her perfectly in the middle.

"I love the lime light. When I graduate I'm gonna pack my bags for sure and move to Hollywood to pursue my dream of becoming a famous superstar."

Ayane snorted. "Good luck to that."

"You'll regret saying that once you see me on the tabloids." She stuck her chin up and imagined the day she would be discovered as a talent. "It might say, 'Tina Armstrong: The New Renowned Actress – Young, Beautiful, and Talented'." She flushed at just the thought.

"Yeah, yeah… Tell me something I actually want to hear."

"You could join drama, you know. You'll never know if you've that gift unless you show what you're made of."

"I don't have any gifts."

"Aw c'mon, every one's gotta be good at something."

Ayane sneered. "I suppose picking your nose is a gift if you do it all the time! Besides, drama's for gays, freaks, and weirdoes."

"Oh really now? I'm in drama, and am I a weirdo?"

Ayane shrugged. "I guess so."

"Well… then there's just a little bit of weirdo in all of us then, huh?"

"Don't think you can't change my mind, cause you can't."

Tina gave out a sigh. "Okay, but you'll be missing out on a lot." She switched the lights off and quickly joined Ayane back at the top. "So, let's go continue with our tour."

* * *

Gen Fu was seated behind his desk, busying himself with important papers. He didn't seem to notice Tina and Ayane when they walked in. 

"Mr. Gen Fu?" Tina intruded, trying to capture his attention. No response. "Ahem."  
"Oh!" He said, looking surprised. "Back so soon? Thank You, Miss Armstrong, you may return to your class now." He gestured toward the door with his pen.

"Piece of cake." She turned to Ayane and waved before she left.

Again, Gen Fu went back to his papers. The room became quiet.

"Please, take a seat." He invited, yet still transfixed to the papers. She took a seat on the chair in front of his desk and watched as he filled up several slips.

_Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick._

There was an annoying cat clock hanging on the wall. Its tail went side to side as it looked both ways. It disturbed Ayane how he took his time. She had been waiting for a good 3 minutes. With nothing to, she began studying Gen Fu's facial features. The speckles all over his bald head were fascinating. She tried forming as many images as she could with the spectacle. Flowers. Butterflies. Happy face. He coughed hoarsely as he clipped the last of his papers and stacked them away to the side. He took another thick wad of papers from his desk, dividing them into 3 sectors and laid them separately on the desk towards Ayane.

"Now," He pointed. "This is the hand book containing all of the rules, regulations, and instructions to Winston High School. This one's the schedule for the freshmen class and… I'm going to need you to fill these out for me." Ayane picked up the last batch of papers and signed them carelessly.

"I must also inform you, because you did file in during the middle of the school term, you won't have much of an option when it comes to choosing your electives. The classes have already been assigned and confirmed for our students, so the best I can do is to give you a list of classes that are still open and hopefully we have something in your best of interest. Lets see here…" He rolled his chair to the computer on the other table and began clicking and typing. From what Ayane could observe, he was a very bad typist. Very bad. He typed with only his index fingers and it took him a while to locate the letters. Ayane grew restless.

"Here we are…" He said finally "... Square dancing and… drama."

Perfect, Ayane thought miserably, a good way to start off the New Year in another school. She couldn't dance for squat, let alone bear to be in drama with that annoying blonde butch, Tina. But, Tina so far seems to be the only person she knew here other than her own siblings. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea…

"So what shall it be?"

Ayane snapped out of thought, "-what?"

"Your elective, what shall it be?"

A sudden knock came from the door to the next room.

"Excuse me for a minute," he said as he scooted his chair to stand up. "I'll attend to you right after this. Youmaythink about it for the moment if you wish." He exited, leaving the door between the main office and his office, slightly ajar. Ayane listened to the muffled voices from the other room. All she could make out were certain words that were in the conversation.

"Ah, ……! ……… errands, yes? …… me guess …….. Edwards?" she heard Gen Fu say. His voice was followed by that of a young man – it was very attractive. Deep and mature, yet still had a boyish charm. Ayane felt her heart jump.

"Yeah, ……… trees again… Principal … Fu, where's the …… machine?"

"Oh yes, … seems I forgot … inform the faculty … moved …… my office. Thank you for reminding me!"

"Gen Fu?" An elderly woman's voice interrupted. "You're grand ………… other line."

"Oh is she now? I'll get ……, thank you Minerva! R…? Go ahead …… office, ……copymachine …… by my desk."

"Thanks…"

"Mei Lin?! Hello my little chipmunk!" _Laughter._

Footsteps neared the door. Ayane's heart grew uneasy. She tried desperately to clean herself, wiping the sides of her mouth and swishing her hair to the side. She couldn't decide whether to slouch or sit up, fiddle with something or give a blank stare. The door swung open. And before her walked a striking stranger – very handsome, for it wasn't hard to deny. He had a strong build, noticeable muscle definition, and a perfect bronze complexion. Rather highly unusual was his long hair. She never imagined that such long hair would ever look that good on a male, especially for someone like him. There was an air of mystery about him. Surely, he could get any girl he wanted. Yet, maybe he only wanted girls who looked as good as he did. So why even bother?

She watched him as he walked strait towards the copy machine without the slightest clue she was in the room. He pressed at the buttons and waited for the copies, and still not a single sign of acknowledgement. Once he was done, hewalked out and that was it. It would've been nice if he had noticed her, but she should've known better. Of course she wouldn't be noticed. She didn't even want to think about it anymore.

"Ah, have you chosen yet?" said Principal Gen Fu, who came in. He had apparently finished his gibberish conversation with Mei Lin.


	5. Leeches and Pushovers

_The next chapter is up and I don't know what to name it! Rgh!Anyways, a constant reminder:please read and submit reviews. I may need feedback to continue - positive or negative, anything's something. Enjoy! (Disclaimer: I do not own Dead or Alive, Team Ninja, or Tecmo.)_

* * *

"Get that upper body working, Kasumi!" Ms. Barton shouted from bellow. "C'mon! You could do it! Just… a little bit… further…"

Although aided by strong words of encouragement, Barton's uproar only made Kasumi more nervous. She only managed to make it halfway up the rope before her arms, having no strength to pull her body any higher, completely gave out. She slid down in defeat as the rope burned her fingers.

"Oh, almost Kas," Ms. Barton assured, patting her on the back, "maybe another time…"

"Sorry…" Kasumi apologized, as if she had done great wrong.

"Samantha, you're up!"

Kasumi sighed as she walked to the mats to sit down. Her hands were slightly red and peeled from the rope burn. Soon, they will turn into blisters. She gently massaged it with her fingers.

"Ouch, that must've hurt…" someone said from behind.

It was Lei Fang, who scooted down beside her. "You were almost there, you know-"

"I know…"

"But, you couldn't have done any worse than I have." She giggled, her braided plaits bouncing with friendliness on each side of her head. "I could only do less done less than a quarter!"

Kasumi laughed.

It was typical. Lei Fang was always there to save the day. For her, it was almost like instinct. That was a good thing to see in a friend. But she did it so often. And having gone through it so often, Kasumi found that Lei Fang consoled in about almost anything. Even to incidents in which consoling shouldn't have been applied to the any of the circumstances. Yet Kasumi sought that from a friend and it was always Lei Fang who was able to provide that for her.

"I saw you're sister this morning. She's… interesting."

"Oh… Really?"

"Yeah. Purple hair. That's really weird. She looks just like you, but with purple hair of course." She laughed, "Oh my God, prom's coming up." She turned to Kasumi, changing the subject as usual. "You should totally run for prom queen. You'd so win."

Kasumi looked dazed. "Me?" she pointed to herself. "Prom queen?" She shook her head, "Oh, no, I don't think so."

"Oh c'mon, why not?"

"I- I don't have what it takes, for one thing… I'm only a junior…"

"So? And you'll be seventeen by then! They allow underclassmen as long as they're seventeen!"

"I don't know about that…"

"Almost every senior here loves you. You're practically their idol. You'll be perfect. I'm signing you in."

"Lei Fang, no. Don't do it, please?" She begged half willingly. Her decision to run wasn't fully sided. She wanted to run; yet at the same time, she didn't want to.

"Alright," Lei Fang said while keeping a straight face. "Just because you said please." She secretly crossed her fingers behind her back.

Kasumi became relieved, then disappointed.

"Anyways, what elective did you get?" Lei Fang asked." I got ASB."

"Teacher's Aid."

"That's great! We both got what we wanted. Which teacher?"

"Umm, Mr. Ripley."

"The drama teacher?" Lei Fang scoffed. "That's good. At least you won't be grading a bunch of essays."

"That's true. I really think I might like it."

"Hey, whatever floats your boat right?"

* * *

The lunch line was long, but it always skimmed through pretty fast. A wham here and a flop there. The way the lunch ladies just threw your lunch on the tray platter was not too appetizing. The food was never 'that' great anyways.

"Bleh! Tastes like cardboard!" Lei Fang spit out a chunk of masticated meatloaf into her napkin while making a face. "It's as if they 'want' to poison us…" She threw the napkin at a group of freshmen card-playing geeks sitting in a nearby table. They all pounced up like prairie dogs, alarmed from the sudden interference that cost them their game. She scooted her tray down to the fruit section, digging for a non-bruised banana. Kasumi and Kureha followed behind, picking their selections of the day's lunch special.

The three sat at their supposed official table located near the vending machines. Being greatly respected, no one dared to even touch it during their lunch break. Some considerable seniors would have been an exception – other than that, the table was off limits.

"Okay lets eat, I'm starved!" Lei Fang protested.

Kureha, instead of touching her food, went straight to her backpack, pulling out a binder and the 11th grade trig book. Lei Fang looked in disgust.

"Oh my God, Kureha… why don't you like, get your mind out of books for once and actually take some time to eat with your friends?"

"Sorry, can't do," she mumbled. "I have a test coming up for Mrs. Whitefield's after lunch, and I can't afford to let this one get by me…" She opened the book and turned the pages, looking for the right page for her to study.

Lei Fang rolled her eyes. "You ace like every test, what makes you think you won't ace this one?"

"Not 'every' test," she asserted, "I got a B+ on the last one, remember?"

"Oh no, B! You're gonna die!" She said sarcastically.

"That's not funny Lei," Kureha whined, "you now how important this is for me..."

"The trick is to pay special attention to the teacher and keep it up all up there." She pointed to the top of her head and gave a nod.

"Easy for you to say. I'm sorry I'm not smart like you."

A horde of chattering, annoying girls boisterously entered the cafeteria and hurried to their table like magnets. They looked more excited than hungry. Apparently, some hot news had made its way into their super-sensitive ears and it seems as if they couldn't take it out of their fluttering heads since then. These girls were always up on the hottest gossips, getting into everyone's business when one shouldn't have, and spreading rumors when they knew none were true. "A bunch of leeches…" Lei Fang had called them. "They should be called Leech Girls."

"Hey Kasumi," the leader of the group said casually. Like Kasumi, she had ginger red hair and a long yellow ribbon. But that wasn't her original hair color, and it wasn't her ribbon either.

"Oh, hello Marina…" Marina was a short stubby little thing. Her face was somewhat of an undefined circle, and whenever she laughed, her chin would disappear into her neckline. Unfortunately for her, she laughed all the time. So much, that one would think - or wish - that one day her chin would stay stuck to her neck forever. She had the ugliestglasses too. The frames were outdated and the lenses were thick. They made her eyes look smaller than what they actually were..

"What do you want now?" Lei Fang said hostilely. "Are you looking for another back to stab?"

"Lei Fang…" Kasumi pleaded.

Lei Fang angrily bit her tongue. She had been around Kasumi long enough to know that she was the ultimate pushover. She had also been around the Leech Girls long enough to get the impression that they were a bunch of adolescent suck-ups desperately trying to be apart anything 'cool' they could get their hands on. And to get the attention that they so wantonly deserve, they'd do all these little nasty things behind people's back, without them knowing – almost like leeches. Hec, they would probably even rip each other apart for just those 15 minutes of fame. That's why Lei Fang didn't want them around Kasumi. She'd get eaten alive.

"So, your sister just transferred to this school," said Marina, in the sweetest voice she could possibly come up with. Lei Fang cringed at the sound of it. It wasn't pleasant to listen to with its high pitches, squeaks, and constant laughs. "I heard she was a dike."

"Oh, perhaps what you heard wasn't the truth?"

"Bertha here says she's got purple hair."

"Yes, she's very unique."

"As in weird?" A girl asked.

"Or maybe dealing with a large case of schizophrenia?" Another girl added. They all giggled.

Marina laughed as well. "That would be like the worse thing in the world! Well, other than getting abducted by an alien - that would be socool! They would abduct me in my sleep while I don't know it, and I would be like, ladida…"

Lei Fang scoffed as Kasumi and Kureha gave out fake, suppressed laughs. Marina expected them to join in on the conversation thinking that what they had going on was getting good. But really, the three never fully understood the Leech Girls' odd sense of humor in which they found in vampires, UFO's, and talking about how their parents love them too much.

"Ladies," Lei Fang interrupted.

All of them stopped and looked intently at her.

"Um, do you mind getting me the Winston Weekly Enquirer down at the office so we can have some hot gossips?"

"OKAY!" They all scrambled through the doors like a pack of hungry hound dogs fighting for dinner.

"God! I thought I'd ever get them out of my face! They're so annoying! Especially what's her face? Marinara…

"Marina." Kureha corrected.

"Marina, Marinara sauce… same difference." Lei Fang slumped on her chair. "Hey, I think one of the girls had my same exact signature hairstyle from last year. Yes she did! And now that I think of it, she even had the same dress I bought from Coconut Republic!"

Kureha smiled. "You're probably just thinking about it too much. Just let it go."

"Probably… Anyways let's just get out of here before they comeback."

The three hurriedly picked up their belongings and headed outside to sit under the memorial tree where they spent the rest of their lunch period eating.


	6. Romantically Inclined

_Hi-ya! So this is the next chapter. Hope you like it. It's not yet rising action, but getting there, so don't think it isn't getting anywhere. I just need time to finisih introducing the cast of characters, and so on and so forth. __(Disclaimer: I do not own Dead or Alive, Team Ninja, or Tecmo.)_

* * *

By the gates, he saw his little sister waiting for him alone. She drew her eyes upon the ground, clasping a book to her chest. The blank expression on her face led him to draw conclusions of unnecessary complexity, as he wondered about what she was thinking at the very moment. Has such solitude formed into a standard? As long as he could remember, he has never seen her show any kind of relational development towards another person. Sometimes he would think she was socially undeveloped, unable to hold a simple conversation with those of whom she is unacquainted with. So she stays by herself - like a loner. Maybe she's used to it, he believed – but he found it to harsh to think about his sister that way, and so, he completely disregarded the whole conjecture. Besides, he had other things to deal with. Upcoming exams, activity devotions… and for the first time, he actually felt like hewas in love. He saw her on his way to Karate class one day. Couldn't take his eyes off her. Utterly perfect – the words he used to describe her. She was all he thought about the whole weekend. What a coincidence when he learned she was an exchange student at Winston high. Unable to confront her, he drew her doodlings and wrote her little notes and slipped them into her locker. 

"_You are like an angel from heaven…_

_- your secret admirer"_

From this note, a great idea emerged, and so, his crusade for acknowledgment and love began. Everyday, he sent her a note: a compliment and at times a clue that unraveled piece by piece of who he was.

_"You make me feel complete…_

- _secret admirer (I have hazel eyes.)"_

It redeemed very effective as her bewilderment eventually grew into a romantic novel. He watched from a distance as her friends sighed from such oppression of love, wishing that they too had been placed in a situation like hers, but were also distressed whenever they found no note placed within her locker. It was a good thing to feel, knowing or supposing she actually cared about his secret crusades. However he would've liked it much better if she hadn't shown her friends his notes from time to time. Often they would make such a big deal about it. But maybe it deserved to be a big deal – because he felt like his love was pouring out of his heart. He needed to share it with her.

The Winston clock tower chimed as the hour hand struck three. It's melodic ringing echoed through the gilded campus.

"Who's that?"

"...My sister…" Hayate shuffled frustratingly through his backpack for his car keys. "I need to find Kasumi first. Do you know where she is?"

"No. Didn't see her all day."

"…Damn… She knows I have class today."

_…Shuffling…_

"...I want to meet her."

"What?" Hayate took out his cell phone. He punched in numbers and pulled it up to his ear.

"Your sister. The one at the gate."

"Hold on. ……… Kasumi? Where are you! …… What are you doing at- …… Well tell him you're in a hurry, I'm going to be late for Karate." He flipped the phone and shoved it back into his backpack.

"She said she was in Mr. Ripley's helping him with some papers… What were you telling me again?"

"Forget it."

The door behind them opened. It was Kasumi.

"Sorry. I lost track of time." She said as she walked towards her brother. "Hayabusa-san…" She smiled.

He returned the smile. "How's your day?"

"It was lovely."

"C'mon Kasumi," Hayate butted in, "lets go." He turned to Hayabusa. "I'll see you later man."

* * *

_Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap._

Niki's kitten heels tapped against the pavement as she walked towards her car in the parking lot. Assertive. Independent. Very mature… _Sexy_. She sought words that described her after hearing her heels tap on the floor all day. They were latest rage. 97. Black and barely on the boarder of breaking school dress code. Along with that came her 'seductive walk', which she had been practicing since the 7th grade. Her mom taught her the best way to do it. "That's how I got your daddy." She remembered her saying. One foot in front of the other. Exaggerate the hip movement. Fluctuate ass. She felt like the perfect example of someone to be envied. She knew she looked good, and she wasn't afraid to use it as an advantage to get what she wants.

"Boo!" A pair of hands suddenly flew over her eyes.

_Gasp._

"Guess who?" The person asked. He drew himself close to her, maybe a little to close until she felt something disgusting.

"Ugh, Zack, you gross perve!" She shoved him off. "Get you and you're little pea body away from my ass!" She ordered in a demanding, yet playful tone.

"Sorry, girl, but pea body thinks you're so fine, he wanted to hit that for himself."

"Aw…Am I supposed to take that as a compliment?" She crossed her arms.

"You should. Pea body thinks so." He placed his arms over her shoulders and escorted her to her car. "Where are you going tonight?"

"And why should you know." She asked as she swayed her head with attitude.

"Just wondering…" He scratched his head. "Cause, you know, I've been thinking and…"

"And…"

"I don't know. Maybe we can go out and get something to eat or something. You know, me being the homecoming king and you being the queen… makes me feel like we're meant to give it try."

She scoffed. "Why don't you just go and stalk some freshmen."

"Alright, I see how it is." He raised his arms. "You don't want me. It's cool. It's cool." He turned around to walk away.

Niki felt a little shorthanded. She liked to play hard to get, but she didn't want him to leave her.

"Zack."

Attentively, he turned around.

"What?"

"I'll be at the Micky D's around the corner at around... four-ish? Meet you there."

She winked at him, got into the car, and drove off, leaving Zack shouting for joy in the middle of the parking lot.


End file.
